U.S. patent number 10,174,507 [Application Number 15/721,043] was granted by the patent office on 2019-01-08 for system for adjusting tension on fabric panels between structural members.
This patent grant is currently assigned to BRITESPAN BUILDING SYSTEMS INC.. The grantee listed for this patent is Britespan Building Systems Inc.. Invention is credited to Richard William Henbid, Robert James Stute.
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United States Patent |
10,174,507 |
Henbid , et al. |
January 8, 2019 |
System for adjusting tension on fabric panels between structural
members
Abstract
A system for adjusting tension on fabric panels between two
structural members of a fabric panel structure is disclosed. The
system includes a rib that extends outwards from the structural
members, a first keder rail located adjacent to the rib, a second
keder rail located opposite to the rib of the first keder rail, and
a fastener that passes through apertures in the first keder rail,
the rib, and second keder rail to secure the keder rails against
the rib. Preferably, the fastener is adjustable to allow the keder
rails to be opened and closed to assist with installing or
replacing fabric panels. Alternate embodiments can secure one of
the keder rails directly to the structural member without the use
of the rib.
Inventors: |
Henbid; Richard William (Port
Elgin, CA), Stute; Robert James (Brussels,
CA) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Britespan Building Systems Inc. |
Lucknow |
N/A |
CA |
|
|
Assignee: |
BRITESPAN BUILDING SYSTEMS INC.
(Lucknow, CA)
|
Family
ID: |
64815521 |
Appl.
No.: |
15/721,043 |
Filed: |
September 29, 2017 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A01G
9/1407 (20130101); E04B 1/40 (20130101); E04F
13/005 (20130101); E04B 1/34321 (20130101); E04B
2001/2457 (20130101); E04B 1/24 (20130101); E04B
2001/2481 (20130101); E04B 2001/2415 (20130101); E04B
2001/249 (20130101); E04B 2001/2421 (20130101); Y02A
40/252 (20180101); E04B 2001/2451 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
E04F
13/00 (20060101); E04B 1/41 (20060101); E04B
1/343 (20060101); E04B 1/24 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;52/222,698,656.9
;135/121,123,119,907 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Herring; Brent W
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Edgar; Aaron
Claims
The invention claimed is:
1. A system for adjusting tension on fabric panels between two
structural members of a fabric panel structure, the system
comprising: a rib extending outwardly from at least one of the
structural members, the rib defining an aperture, the rib fixedly
attached to the structural member; a first keder rail located
adjacent to the rib, the first keder rail defining an aperture; a
second keder rail located opposite to the rib of the first keder
rail, the second keder rail defining an aperture; a fastener that
passes through the aperture in the first keder rail, the aperture
in the rib, and engages with the aperture in the second keder rail,
the aperture of the second keder rail is threaded to engage the
fastener, and the fastener secures the first and second keder rails
against the rib; and wherein the first and second keder rails each
have a keder channel for receiving the fabric panels, the aperture
in the first keder rail and the aperture in the second keder rail
are each positioned between the keder channel and a bottom portion
of the corresponding first and second keder rail adjacent the
structural member to provide clearance to allow the fastener to be
adjusted from within the fabric panel structure.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein the fastener is adjustable to
allow any one of the first keder rail and second keder rail to
translate away and towards the rib between an open position and a
closed position to adjust tension on the fabric panel attached to
the corresponding keder rail.
3. The system of claim 2 wherein the fastener is a bolt.
4. The system of claim 3 wherein the fastener further comprises a
nut.
5. The system of claim 4 wherein the second keder rail defines a
seat for receiving any one of the nut and a head of the bolt.
6. The system of claim 1 wherein the aperture of the first keder
rail is positioned to provide clearance between the keder channel
and the structural member to allow a socket to engage a head of the
fastener.
7. The system of claim 1 further comprising a gasket to provide a
weatherproof seal between the first and second keder rails.
8. The system of claim 7 wherein the gasket is resilient and is
attached to an upper portion of any one or more of the first keder
rail and the second keder rail, the upper portion extending past
the rib.
9. The system of claim 1 wherein the structural member is an I-beam
and the rib is attached to the I-beam by any one of fasteners and
welding.
10. The system of claim 1 wherein the structural member is an
I-beam and the rib is integrally formed with the I-beam.
11. The system of claim 1 wherein the structural member is any one
of a tubular frame, a rectangular cross-section frame, and a square
cross-section frame, and the rib is attached to the tubular frame
by fasteners.
12. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least two locking
members, the first keder rail and the second keder rail each having
a locking aperture for receiving a corresponding locking member,
and the at least two locking members engaging corresponding locking
apertures of a second set of first and second keder rails having
abutting ends of the first and second keder rails.
13. The system of claim 12 wherein the locking member is attached
to the keder rails by a fastener through a sidewall of the
corresponding keder rail.
14. The system of claim 1 further comprising a protective sleeve
for covering a portion of the fastener that extends through the
second keder rail.
15. A system for adjusting tension on fabric panels between two
structural members of a fabric panel structure, the system
comprising: a rib extending outwardly from at least one of the
structural members, the rib defining an aperture; a first keder
rail located adjacent to the rib, the first keder rail defining an
aperture; a second keder rail located opposite to the rib of the
first keder rail, the second keder rail defining an aperture; a
fastener that passes through the aperture in the first keder rail,
the aperture in the rib, and engages with the aperture in the
second keder rail, the aperture of the second keder rail is
threaded to engage the fastener, and the fastener secures the first
and second keder rails against the rib, and wherein first keder
rail and second keder rail each have a plurality of apertures, the
plurality of apertures spaced apart and each of the plurality of
apertures alternate between a fastener passthrough aperture and a
fastener engaging aperture, and the plurality of apertures
complimenting the plurality of apertures in the opposing keder rail
opposite the rib.
16. A system for adjusting tension on fabric panels between two
structural members of a fabric panel structure, the system
comprising: a first keder rail fixedly attached to a structural
member, the first keder rail defining an aperture; a fastener that
passes through the aperture in the first keder rail; a second keder
rail located adjacent to the first keder rail, the second keder
rail defining an aperture that threadingly engages the fastener and
secures the second keder rail to the first keder rail; and wherein
the first and second keder rails each have a keder channel for
receiving the fabric panels, the aperture in the first keder rail
and the aperture in the second keder rail are each positioned
between the keder channel and a bottom portion of the corresponding
first and second keder rail adjacent the structural member to
provide clearance to allow the fastener to be adjusted from within
the fabric panel structure.
17. The system of claim 16 wherein the fastener is adjustable to
allow the second keder rail to translate away and towards the first
keder rail between an open position and a closed position to adjust
tension on the fabric panel attached to the second keder rail.
18. The system of claim 17 wherein the fastener is a bolt.
Description
FIELD
The present disclosure relates generally to buildings that have a
covering made from flexible fabric panels. More particularly, the
disclosure relates to an improved keder rail system that allows
fabric panels to be easily installed or replaced.
BACKGROUND
Fabric panel buildings are used to rapidly deploy a building and
are often used for applications where a building is required
quickly or for temporary purposes. Some uses include aviation
buildings, storage and warehousing, agricultural buildings,
military buildings, and buildings for sports and recreation. Fabric
panel buildings have a framework consisting of I-beams, open webbed
trusses, or other structural members that are secured to ground
supports. The fabric panels are secured between the structural
members and tension is applied to the fabric panels to remove
wrinkles.
There are a number of approaches that have been used to add or
remove tension to the fabric panels, but many of these approaches
are not suitable for a number of reasons. Many of these approaches
require adjustment from outside the structure which can be
difficult, dangerous, expensive, and labor intensive. Other
approaches place unnecessary wear and fatigue on the structure or
fabric panels.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,333,425 to Nickerson et al. discloses
a nut that can be tightened to draw oppositely disposed guides
toward the structural beam to add tension to the fabric membrane.
This approach is extremely labor intensive as it can only be
adjusted from outside the structure using hand tools and requires
the removal of a weatherproofing cover to ensure the structure is
waterproof. This approaches also requires an expensive custom
I-beam structure to which a custom keder rail structure must be
mated.
U.S. Patent Application No. 2014/0209258 to Wenstrand discloses a
fabric tensioning system that can be adjusted from inside the
building structure. A nut can be hand tightened to adjust fabric
tension, but not enough clearance is provided to allow the use of
power tools. An additional weatherproof flap is included but the
tension on the weatherproof flap must be adjusted from outside the
structure which negates the advantage of having a fabric panel
tensioning mechanism adjustable from inside the structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,334,653 to Fox discloses a keder rail structure
that includes a pair of protrusions that attaches to fabric panels
on either side of the structural member. A tensioning tool is used
to pull the keder rail into position and the keder rail is then
secured in place to the building structure with a bolt that runs
through the keder rail and additional clips that attach to the
I-beams. This approach of using a tensioning tool is slow and labor
intensive. Because a single keder rail structure attaches to both
adjacent fabric panels, it is not possible to independently adjust
tension on a single fabric panel, which also makes future
replacement of a single fabric panel very difficult.
Many other approaches to installing fabric panels to the building
structure require placing tension on the structural member of the
building. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,137,687 to Sprung, U.S. Pat.
No. 4,593,710 to Stafford et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 7,849,639 to
Sprung all disclose methods of placing tension on the structural
members of the building to adjust tension of the fabric panels.
These approaches that place stress on the structural elements of
the building are not ideal as they potentially damage the structure
with unnecessary stress, offer limited tension adjustability once
installed, and make replacing a fabric panel difficult and labor
intensive. These approaches are also more expensive because they
require additional parts and/or custom extrusions of the I-beams to
include the spreader or tensioning elements.
SUMMARY
According to a first aspect, a system is provided for adjusting
tension on fabric panels between two structural members of a fabric
panel structure. The system comprises a rib that has an aperture
and extends outward from the structural members; a first keder rail
that includes an aperture and is located adjacent to the rib; a
second keder rail also having an aperture and located opposite to
the rib of the first keder rail; and a fastener that passes through
the aperture in the first keder rail, the aperture in the rib, and
the aperture in the second keder rail that secures the first and
second keder rails against the rib. The first and second keder
rails typically each have a keder channel for receiving the fabric
panels. The keder rails and rib can also include a series of
aligned apertures spaced along the length of the keder rails and
rib.
The fastener is preferably adjustable to allow the first keder rail
and/or second keder rail to translate away and towards the rib
between an open position and a closed position to adjust tension on
the fabric panel attached to the corresponding keder rail. The
fastener can be a bolt and can be used with a nut to secure the
keder rails. In some aspects, the second keder rail can have a seat
to receive the nut and prevent rotation. Alternatively, in place of
the nut, the aperture in the second keder rail can be threaded to
engage the bolt. Preferably, the apertures are positioned to
provide clearance between the keder channel and structural member
to allow the fastener to be adjusted from within the fabric panel
structure, such through the use of a socket to engage the fastener,
for example. In some aspects, a protective sleeve can be used to
cover a portion of the fastener that extends through the second
keder rail to protect the fabric panel from abrasion wear from the
fastener.
In some aspects, the system can include a gasket to provide a
weatherproof seal between the first keder rail and the second keder
rail. Preferably, the gasket is comprised of a resilient material
that can compress and expand as the keder rails are opened and
closed. The gasket can be attached to an upper portion of one or
both of the keder rails that extends past the rib.
The system can be used with a variety of structural member such as
an I-beam or structural members having a tubular, rectangular, or
square cross-section. The rib can be attached to the structural
member by welding or fasteners, and can also be integrally formed
with the structural member.
In some aspects, the system can have a locking members that are
inserted into locking apertures at the ends of a first set of keder
rails and the ends of a second set of keder rails to secure the
abutting ends of the first and second set of keder rails. A
fastener can be used to secure the locking members to each of the
first and second set of keder rails, such a screw or other fastener
that extends through the sidewall of the keder rail to engage the
corresponding locking member.
According to a second aspect, a system is provided for adjusting
tension on fabric panels between two structural members of a fabric
panel structure that does not include the rib of the first aspect
and instead secures one of the keder rails to the structural
member. The second aspect comprises a first keder rail that is
fixedly attached to the structural member, a second keder rail
positioned adjacent to the first keder rail, and a fastener that
passes through an aperture in the first keder rail and an aperture
in the second keder rail to secure the second keder rail to the
first keder rail.
The system of claim 18 wherein the fastener is adjustable to allow
the second keder rail to translate away and towards the first keder
rail between an open position and a closed position to adjust
tension on the fabric panel attached to the second keder rail. Many
of the above aspects related to the embodiments that include a rib
can also be applied to the embodiments that attach the keder rail
directly to the structural member without the use of a rib.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
For a better understanding of the various embodiments described
herein and to show more clearly how they may be carried into
effect, reference will now be made, by way of example only, to the
accompanying drawings which show at least one exemplary embodiment,
and in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fabric panel structure
illustrating the general configuration of a fabric panel
structure;
FIG. 2A is an end view of a first and second keder rails in an open
position;
FIG. 2B an end view of the first and second keder rails of FIG. 2A
in a closed position;
FIG. 3A is a top perspective view of a first and second keder rails
mounted to an I-beam in a closed position;
FIG. 3B is an enlarged view of the ends of the first and second
keder rails of FIG. 3A;
FIG. 3C is a top perspective view of the first and second keder
rails of FIG. 3A illustrating the use of a clamp to maintain the
first keder rail against the rib;
FIG. 4A is a top perspective view of a first and second keder rails
of FIG. 3A in an open position;
FIG. 4B is an enlarged view of the ends of the first and second
keder rails of FIG. 4A;
FIG. 4C is a top perspective view of the first and second keder
rails of FIG. 4A illustrating the use of a clamp to maintain the
first keder rail against the rib;
FIG. 5A is an end view of a first and second keder rails in a
closed position attached to a tubular frame member; and
FIG. 5B is an end view of a first and second keder rails in an open
position attached to a rectangular cross-section frame member;
FIG. 6A is a perspective view illustrating connecting a first set
of keder rails to a second set of keder rails using locking members
and a gasket;
FIG. 6B is a perspective view of the first set of keder rails
locked to the second set of keder rails of FIG. 6A;
FIG. 7A is an end view of a first keder rail and a second keder
rail in a closed position where the first keder rail is fixedly
attached to a structural member; and
FIG. 7B is an end view of the first and second keder rails of FIG.
7A in an open position;
DESCRIPTION OF VARIOUS EMBODIMENTS
It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of
illustration, where considered appropriate, numerous specific
details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding
of the exemplary embodiments described herein. However, it will be
understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the
embodiments described herein may be practiced without these
specific details. In other instances, well-known methods,
procedures and components have not been described in detail so as
not to obscure the embodiments described herein. Furthermore, this
description is not to be considered as limiting the scope of the
embodiments described herein in any way, but rather as merely
describing the implementations of various embodiments described
herein.
Reference is first made to FIG. 1, shown is a perspective view of a
fabric panel structure 100 having a number of structural members
shown generally at 10 that extend in an arch-like fashion from one
side of the structure to the other side of the structure. Fabric
panel sections 11 are sized to fit between structural members 10
and tension is applied to fabric panel sections 11 to remove
wrinkles in the fabric and provide rigidity. Replacement of a
fabric panel section 11 can be difficult as it requires releasing
tension on the fabric panel section 11 prior to removal of the
fabric panel section 11, and then after installing a replacement
fabric panel section, tension must be reapplied to the replacement
fabric panel section. The embodiments disclosed herein provide for
an improved system for installing fabric panels 11 and adjusting
tension on fabric panels 11 between structural members that allows
for a simpler and more cost-efficient way to install and replace
fabric panel sections.
Reference is next made to FIGS. 2A and 2B, shown is an end view of
a first keder rail 210 and a second keder rail 230 attached to a
structural member 250 in an open position in FIG. 2A and a closed
position in FIG. 2B. A rib 260 is attached to structural member 250
and extends outwardly with respect to fabric panel structure 100. A
fastener 270 is used to attach first keder rail 210 and second
keder rail 230 to rib 260. Preferably, first keder rail 210, second
keder rail 230, and rib 260 each define apertures that align to
receive fastener 270, and for fastener 270 to secure first and
second keder rails 210, 230 against rib 260.
The term "keder" generally refers to the system used to attach
fabric panels 11 to fabric panel structure 100. Keder comprises a
core 290 and a fabric portion 292 that is attached to core 290.
Fabric portion 292 can be wrapped around core 290 or otherwise
welded or attached to core 290. Core 290 is used to attach fabric
panels 11 to structural members 250 by sliding into a keder channel
212, 232 in first and second keder rails 210, 230, respectively.
Keder channels 212, 232 provide a channel to accept core 290 with a
narrower opening to retain core 290 and allow fabric portion 292 to
extend outwards. With traditional prior art fabric panel
installation, keder rails must be positioned to allow fabric panels
to be installed and then tension must be created on the fabric
panel 11 to retain it between keder channels. Keder rails have a
consistent cross-section and are preferably constructed using an
extrusion process, preferably using aluminium.
Fastener 270 can include bolts, rivets, pins and other known
fastener types. In preferred embodiments, fastener 270 is
adjustable to allow keder rails 210, 230 to translate away or
towards rib 260. For example, in the open position illustrated in
FIG. 2A, second keder rail 230 is shown moved away from rib 260
which would release tension on (or "detension") corresponding
attached fabric portion 292 to allow for easier installation or
removal of core 290 from keder channel 232. After core 290 is
secured within keder channel 232 of second keder rail 230, fastener
270 can be adjusted to move first and second keder rails 210, 230
against rib 260 in the closed position shown in FIG. 2B. Further
examples of tension adjustment to keder rails are provided with
respect to FIGS. 3A-C and 4A-C.
Fastener 270 is preferably a bolt or other threaded fastener. Other
embodiments can use other types of adjustable fasteners, such as a
ratchet-type fasteners, for example.
The length of an adjustable fastener 270 can be selected based on
the detensioning requirements. For example, a longer fastener
allows for greater range of movement of first and second keder
rails 210, 230. Preferably, the length of fastener 270 should be
selected to allow sufficient detensioning of fabric panels 11 in
cold weather based on the thermal contraction properties of fabric
panels 11. In some embodiments, a protective sleeve 274 can be
placed on the end of fastener 270 to protect fabric portion 292
from damage due to contact with fastener 270. Protective sleeve 274
can be comprised of neoprene, plastic, rubber, or other material
that will not damage fabric panels 11 from abrasion against
fastener 270.
In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B, fastener 270 is a
bolt having a head 272 that abuts first keder rail 210. Head 272
can be any known shape to receive a tool (e.g. hexagonal, Torx,
Allen). Fastener 270 passes through an aperture 214 in first keder
rail 210 and an aperture 264 in rib 260 to threadingly engage
second keder rail by an aperture 234 that can be threaded. In other
embodiments, rather than having a threaded aperture 234, aperture
234 can be a passthrough and a nut can be used to secure second
keder rail 230 on fastener 270 (see FIGS. 7A-B as one example).
Using a nut and bolt is less preferable as it would require both
nut and bolt head 272 to be engaged concurrently to tighten or
loosen fastener 270.
Preferable to a simple nut and bolt, either first or second keder
rails 210, 230 can define a seat (not shown) for engaging either
the head 272 of the bolt or the nut to prevent rotation and allow
adjustment of fastener 270. For example, the seat can be
hexagonally shaped to receive a hexagonal nut to prevent rotation
of the nut. Alternatively, the nut can be welded or otherwise
secured to second keder rail 230, or fastener 270 can be welded or
otherwise secured to first keder rail 210. It is more preferable
for the nut to be secured or seated to prevent rotation rather than
the bolt head. This allows bolt head 272 to be adjusted using an
impact wrench or socket wrench (rather than an open-end wrench to
adjust the nut).
In preferred embodiments, apertures 214, 264, and 234 are
positioned to provide clearance between keder channel 212 and
structural member 250 to allow a socket to engage bolt head 272 of
fastener 270. An advantage of the embodiment illustrated in FIGS.
2A-B over prior art approaches is that a power tool can be used
from within the fabric panel structure 100 to quickly and easily
adjust tension on fabric panels 11. This approach is preferable to
the prior art approaches that require tension adjustment performed
from outside the structure which is dangerous and more labor
intensive. This approach is also preferable to the prior art
approaches that require squeezing adjacent structural member
together to detension fabric panels which is extremely labor
intensive and puts potentially damaging stress on structural
members.
One or more gaskets can be used to provide a weatherproof seal
between first and second keder rails 210, 230. In the embodiment
illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B, a resilient gasket 220 is provided
on an upper portion of the first keder rail 210 that extends above
rib 260 such that gasket 220 is compressed against a corresponding
upper portion of second keder rail 230 in the closed position
illustrated in FIG. 2B. It is preferable to have gasket 220
attached to one or both of first and second keder rails 210, 230 so
as to not require an additional part which an installer may forget.
Gasket 220 can be comprised of a resilient material to allow keder
rails 210, 230 to be open and closed without affecting the
weatherproof seal provided by gasket 220. For example, gasket 220
can be composed of a resilient foam or rubber.
Alternate gasket arrangements can be used to provide
weatherproofing. For example, a gasket can be placed between the
interface of the first keder rail 210 and rib 260 and another
gasket can be placed between the interface of the second keder rail
230 and rib 260.
Reference is next made to FIGS. 3A-C and 4A-C, shown is a top
perspective view of a first and second keder rails 310, 330 mounted
to an I-beam 350 in a closed position in FIGS. 3A-C and in an open
position in FIGS. 4A-C. Similar reference numerals to FIGS. 2A-B
are used throughout this description to identify similar components
to those shown in FIGS. 2A-B (particularly the two least
significant digits). Keder rails 310, 330 can vary in length and
can include multiple apertures 314, 334 for receiving fasteners
370. Preferably, fasteners 370 are spaced apart sufficiently to
prevent warping or bending of keder rails 310, 330 from the tension
forces of the attached fabric panels. Length of keder rails 310,
330 are preferably selected for ease of manufacturing and
transportation to the site of the fabric panel structure.
Keder rails 310, 330 should conform to the shape of structural
members 350. For example, structural members 10 of the roof in FIG.
1 are straight with an arced section formed at the peak of the
roof. Accordingly, keder rails 310, 330 can conform to this arced
shape. In embodiments where the roof has an arch profile with the
roof truss structural members having a continual arch, keder rails
310, 330 would have a complementary shape to conform to the roof
truss structural members.
Apertures formed in the keder rails can alternate between bolt
receiving and bolt engaging apertures. For example, first keder
rail 310 has both bolt receiving apertures 314 (e.g. allow the bolt
to pass through the aperture) and bolt engaging apertures 314A
(e.g. aperture can be threaded to engage the bolt, can include a
seat for receiving a nut that engages the bolt, or can have an
affixed nut). Apertures 334 and 334A in second keder rail 330
compliment the opposing apertures in first keder rail 310 (e.g.
apertures 314, 334 are bolt receiving and bolt engaging,
respectively, and apertures 314A, 334A are bolt engaging and bolt
receiving, respectively). An installer can select which set of
apertures (i.e. between apertures 314 or apertures 314A) to use to
select which side of structural member 350 adjustments to fastener
370 are made to adjust tension on attached fabric panels 11.
Distance between apertures 314, 334 should be selected based on
strength of keder rails 310, 330 and the load applied from fabric
panels 11. For example, higher loads from fabric panels may require
closer spacing of apertures 314, 334 along length of keder rails
310, 330 or may also require an installed to use both sets of
apertures (i.e. apertures 314, 334 and apertures 314A, 334A).
As shown in FIGS. 3C and 4C, a clamp 395 can be used to fix one of
keder rails 310, 334 in position to allow the other keder rail to
be adjusted by itself. For example, FIGS. 3C and 4C illustrate
clamp 395 attached to the flange of structural member 350 such that
clamp 395 abuts against first keder rail 310 to secure it against
the rib (obscured, not shown). Preferably, a set of clamps 395 are
used along structural member 350 to secure first keder rail 310
against the rib along the length of first keder rail 310.
Adjustment to fastener 370 allows second keder rail 330 to be
adjusted to detension the attached fabric panel independent of the
fabric panel attached to first keder rail 310.
Clamp 395 is shown as a C-clamp as an example of a means to secure
first keder rail 310 in position to move the opposing keder rail
330 by itself. Other approaches can use other clamping or securing
mechanisms. For example, structural member 350 can include
structures on the flange to receive a clamping piece that abuts
against a keder rail to prevent movement.
Reference is now made to FIGS. 5A-B, shown in an end view of first
and second keder rails attached to a rib which is further attached
to a tubular frame member 550 in FIG. 5A and rectangular
cross-section frame member 551 in FIG. 5B. FIGS. 5A and 5B
illustrate that embodiments of the keder rail system disclosed
herein are not limited by size or shape of the structural
member.
FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate rib 560 attached to frame member 550,
551 using rib fasteners 562, which can include screws, rivets, or
other known fastener types. Rib 560 can include a flange 565 that
conforms to the shape of structural member 550. Flange 565 is
rounded in FIG. 5A to conform to the tubular structural frame
member 550, and flange 565 is flat in FIG. 5B to conform to the
flat surface of rectangular structural member 551. Flange 565 can
also define apertures to receive rib fasteners 562. It should be
noted that the position of aperture 564 in rib 560 and size of
first and second keder rails 510, 530 should be designed to provide
adequate clearance for fasteners 562. Also, as shown in FIGS. 2A-B,
rib 260 can be welded or otherwise integrally formed with
structural member 250.
Reference is next made to FIGS. 6A-B, shown is a perspective view
illustrating connecting a first set of keder rails 610 to a second
set of keder rails 620 using locking members 630. Connecting sets
of keder rails together provides for a longer continuous length
that can span the entire building structure. Connecting sets of
keder rails in this manner allows smaller lengths of keder rails to
be manufactured, which is more cost efficient and allows the keder
rails to be more easily transported to the building site.
Locking apertures 640 are defined at the ends of keder rails for
receiving locking members 630. Locking apertures 640 are best
illustrated in end views of keder rail embodiments shown in FIGS.
2A-B and 5A-B. Each keder rail should have at least one locking
aperture 640. The illustrated embodiments provide an example where
each keder rail includes two locking apertures 640.
In order to secure adjacent sets of keder rails together, a locking
member 630 is inserted into a locking aperture 640 defined in each
of the first and second keder rails of the first set of keder rails
610. Next, locking members 630 are inserted into corresponding
locking apertures 640 in the second set of keder rails 620.
Finally, locking members 630 are secured within their corresponding
locking apertures 640 in the first and second set of keder rails
610, 620.
Locking members 630 and locking apertures 640 are illustrated with
a square cross-section but other shapes can be used. The length of
locking members 630, the number of locking members 630, and
cross-section size and shape of locking members 630 are all
selected to accommodate the loading that may be applied to the
keder rails from the tension in the fabric panels and the forces
involved in opening/closing the keder rails.
A fastener 650 can be used to secure locking members 630 within the
locking apertures 640. As illustrated in FIGS. 6A-B, fastener 650
can be a screw that is fastened through the sidewall of the keder
rail extrusion. Other embodiments can use other types of fasteners
such as rivets, for example. Locking member 630 and locking
apertures 640 can also include an integral securing mechanism, such
as a flexible detent and complementary notch, for example, or other
known fastening mechanisms.
A gasket 660 can also be used to provide a weatherproof seal when
joining the first set of keder rails 610 to the second set of keder
rails 620. Gasket 660 is composed of a waterproof material and is
compressible between the set of keder rails to form a seal. Gasket
660 can also be in two pieces to allow first and second keder rails
to separate to detension fabric panels.
Reference is next made to FIGS. 7A-B, shown is an end view of a
first keder rail 710 and a second keder rail 730 where the first
keder rail 710 is fixedly attached to a structural member 750
without the use of rib 250 shown in FIGS. 2A-B. A fastener 770 is
used to attach first keder rail 710 to second keder rail 730.
Fastener 770 is adjustable to allow second keder rails 730 to
translate away or towards first keder rail 710. For example, in the
open position illustrated in FIG. 7A, second keder rail 730 is
shown moved away from first keder rail 710 which would release
tension on (or "detension") corresponding attached fabric portion
792 to allow for easier installation or removal of core 790 from
keder channel 732. After core 790 is secured within keder channel
732 of second keder rail 730, fastener 770 can be adjusted to move
second keder rails 730 against first keder rail 710 in the closed
position shown in FIG. 7B. Adjustment can be provided by bolt head
772 or nut 776.
First keder rail 710 can have an attachment flange 716 that
provides an area for receiving a fastener 776 to attach first keder
rail 710 to structural member 750. As illustrated, attachment
flange 716 extends outwards over I-beam flange 752 to allow first
keder rail 710 to be positioned near vertical web 754. Fasteners
can passthrough attachment flange 716 and I-beam flange 752 to
secure first keder rail 710 to structural member 750. Attachment
flange 716 also provides increased strength to oppose horizontal
tension from attached fabric panels 11.
The embodiment shown in FIGS. 7A-B would require an installer to
ensure that each fabric panel is coupled to one moveable keder rail
(e.g. second keder rail 730) on one side and a fixed keder rail
(e.g. first keder rail 710) on the opposite side of the fabric
panel. A fabric panel 11 can only be detensioned by loosening a
single fastener 770 on one side of the fabric panel rather than
fasteners 270 on each side of fabric panel 11 as is possible in the
embodiment of FIGS. 2A-B. This may require fastener 770 to be much
longer to provide the equivalent amount of movement of keder rails
210, 230 shown in FIGS. 2A-B.
While the exemplary embodiments have been described herein, it is
to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed
embodiments. The invention is intended to cover various
modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the
spirit and scope of the appended claims, and scope of the claims is
to be accorded an interpretation that encompasses all such
modifications and equivalent structures and functions.
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